Competition heats up in summer league

“The games are very competitive, all the way from the six to eight and nine to 11 children to the older, competitive players,” explained FFAS CEO Tavita Taumua.“The younger age groups are playing for fun but the way they are attacking the ball it’s as if they are playing for the championship title just like their older brothers and sisters in the Boys 12-14, 15-17 and girls U-17.”The final two days are July 11 and July 13.Four of the nine teams in the 12-14 age group are in the hunt for the title — No. 1 Vaiala Tongan (13 points), No. 2 Atu’u Broncos (12 points), Green Bay (11 points) and Taputimu Youth (10 points).No. 1 Ilaoa & To’omata (13 points) is trying to fend off four other teams — No. 2 Utulei Youth (12 points), No. 3 Lion Heart (12 points), No. 4 Pago Youth (12 points) and No. 5 Vaiala Tongan (10 points) — in the Boys 15-17 bracket.As for the U-17 girls, the title is Atu’u’s for the taking with 12 points, six better than Green Bay, Tafuna Jets and Lion Heart. However, they face two tough opponents in their final games of the division in Lion Heart and Green Bay.Most points at the end of the round means a championship title for the team holding that honor in all three competitive age groups.

About FFAS

A territory with just 70,000 people and an area of 199km², American Samoa is traditionally strong in sports such as gridiron, basketball and baseball but football is starting to take over these popular pastimes. The strength of the game is at the youth level where Football Federation American Samoa (FFAS) has worked hard to establish competitions within schools. Under the tutelage of President Iuli Alex Godinet.